WWE Intercontinental Championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Miz
A grudge match that was started under the watch of Larry King will be fought tonight, as WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston defends the trinket against the man he won it against, The Miz.
The road to Hell in a Cell
The Miz went Hollywood for a while, taking time off to film the WWE Studios production of Marine: Homefront. He made a surprise return at Money in the Bank to wrestle in the WWE Championship contract ladder match, sporting a new look sans fauxhawk. Unfortunately, Miz was unable to get the briefcase, as old rival John Cena grabbed the suitcase to earn a shot at the WWE Champion CM Punk.
The next week at Raw's 1,000th episode, Miz was given a shot at WWE Intercontinental Champion Christian. The Miz was able to use this opportunity to capture the strap to become the WWE's 25th Triple Crown Champion.
Miz maintained a stronghold on the title, defending it at SummerSlam against Rey Mysterio and in a fatal-four-way match at Night of Champions.
On an episode of Raw just a few weeks ago, Miz was a guest of Larry King's miniature talk show. He berated the long time television personality and his wife, prompting King to invite Kofi Kingston to be the new guest. After having water tossed on his face by King's wife, Kofi laid a beating on Miz that included a flying clothesline from the stage.
Prior to this, Kofi had been on sort of a rollercoaster ride through the WWE. He and his partner R-Truth lost their tag titles to Team Hell No at Night of Champions, leading to the team being put on a hiatus for the time being. He wrestled various competitors leading into his feud with Miz.
The two wrestled and jawed at each other a few times before they met up in non-title competition on the Oct. 15 edition of Raw. Kofi Kingston was able to win the match after a Trouble in Paradise that looked like it belonged in a mixed martial arts cage more than a WWE ring.
Just a few nights later on Main Event, Kingston was able to take home the IC title.
Miz enacted his rematch clause on the following episode of SmackDown, leading to the match tonight.
What's at stake?
Kofi Kingston's gold is on the line, but it also puts his standing in the locker room up for grabs. Should Kingston lose, it might be another ride on that rollercoaster for him. A Kingston victory can ensure him more exposure and more relevance.
The Miz is in a win-win situation here. While another loss to Kingston could affect his stock, it would just give him another road to get back to the top. A Miz victory would earn him the title he desperately wants back.
Watch WWE Hell in a Cell to see who takes home Intercontinental gold tonight.